I'd worry about the oats freezing out. If planting oats, I would definitely not use feed oats, I'd use seed bred for cold resistance. Cereal Rye, can withstand even more cold than wheat and grow in poorer conditions, it's an option for the mix..

Mike, I have planted seed oats and whole feed oats for deer in several plots together and never lost one over the other to freeze, I have lost most of both when temps remained frozen for week or more, still had some growth. Of course the OP may be just enough North of me to spend the extra and go with a more cold hardy verity with only 2 acres. Winter oats and Buck forage oats can handle cooler temps .Feed store once told me the biggest difference in whole feed oats and seed oats, was the germination and "trash" guarantee. I know seed has to have requirements, but there are so many type of oats cultivars now, I'd go with what the locals use and sell.

RedBone, look around this site for some great info, just look for the wildlife tab on the left and follow the trail.

I'm more worried about the distance west and cold dry air moving down from Colorado. I took a quick look at the Plant Hardiness Zone, Wichita Falls is 7a, Wise County 7b. If I'm planting a plot for food I like to play as many factors as possible in my favor.

I can only speak about my place just South of Bowie. I've never found a bit of difference is deer preference between the cereal grains and I've tried wheat, oats and rye. Wheat and oats are generally the cheapest. Like others, I've rarely found oats freezing out. I've noticed that deer won't mess with a cereal grain crop if there is plenty of natural browse like wild rye. Crows always hit my crops and they prefer cereal grains to natural browse.

I've even tried LabLab and with the big stalk and leaves it just doesn't work in an arid area.

He must be butt deep in deer if they affecting his wheat crops. I'm not sure what would motivate a deer to move from one crop location to another but maybe he knows something I don't.

Kinda wondering how he has even had a crop around Wichita Falls the last couple of years. Btw, one guy that I met in that area swears by triticale. I know nothing about it.

Turnips and radishes? I love to plant them. However, sometimes I've had trouble getting them at the time I've caught enough rain to plant.

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I'm more worried about the distance west and cold dry air moving down from Colorado. I took a quick look at the Plant Hardiness Zone, Wichita Falls is 7a, Wise County 7b. If I'm planting a plot for food I like to play as many factors as possible in my favor.

That is why I mentioned I would go by what the local feed/and seed recommends as far as an oat, BTW, iirc, they where in zone 8 as I was before they changed the hardiness zone in 2012, but not 100% on that.

I have never had luck with deer eating turnips, but then some guys swear by it. I put in 2 lbs last fall. A couple lbs of seed is cheap, but it may take a couple years for them to figure out what to do with turnips.

Might want to look into Iron clay cowpeas, or Austrian winter peas, deer take to them great and if they survive browsing, help build your soil up.

FWIW, I have seen a preference in deer in several counties in Texas for oats over wheat, the only reason I plant wheat is for freeze out insurance. It also seems to toughen quicker which is likely part of the reason deer like oats.

If you want to really gamble, you could try a dry land alfalfa cultivar, I had a 4 acre alfalfa food plot for 6 years in southern Erath county, think it was Ladak (sp) developed by A&M for dry, warm climate.

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“Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the Ark, professionals built the Titanic”

I would look at what is being planted as far as small grains, around this plot. I would then try something a bit different to appeal to the deer. I prefer to mix several seeds when planting a fall plot to have different tastes. Seed company like Turner Seed can sell you a fall food plot seed mix also. It will have a variety of seeds in it.